‘Freaky Tales’ review: Pedro Pascal and Jay Ellis are bloodthirsty badasses

Looking was a hit show on HBO that shed light on LGBTQ+ characters and featured a star-studded cast including the likes of Jonathan Groff, Russell Tovey and more. It turns out that it could have also starred Pedro Pascal!

Clayton Davis Senior Awards Editor Variety Awards Circuit section is the home for all awards news and related content throughout the year, featuring the following: the official predictions for the upcoming Oscars, Emmys, Grammys and Tony Awards ceremonies, curated by Variety senior awards editor Clayton Davis. The prediction pages reflect the current standings in the race and do not reflect personal preferences for any individual contender.

Zack Sharf Digital News Director SPOILER ALERT: This story hints at a major cameo in the Sundance Film Festival premiere “Freaky Tales,” which debuted on opening night. Ryan Fleck and Anna Boden’s electrified the opening night of the 2024 Sundance Film Festival with “Freaky Tales,” a genre-driven anthology movie that tells four interconnected stories in 1987 Oakland, California. The movie is a return to indie filmmaking for Fleck and Boden, who made a name for themselves as the directors of indie hits like “Half Nelson” before they jumped into the Marvel Cinematic Universe with “Captain Marvel.” “It was great to come back to the indie film world in a lot of ways,” Boden said at the Variety Studio presented by Audible.

“These are the tales, the freaky tales,” repeatedly intones Oakland rap legend Too $hort over the interstitials of writer and directors Ryan Fleck and Anna Boden’s “Freaky Tales.” This Bay Area anthology film takes its title from the over nine-minute song, which is itself an extended chronicle of prominent personalities the rapper encounters. While the directing duo occasionally approximates something wild in their headrush of 1987 nostalgia, they do not earn the second line of the rap.

died of an accidental overdose last July. He was 25.His “Freaky Tales” co-star Jay Ellis took the stage of the Eccles Theater after the debut screening and recalled filming the finale fight scene with him.“My first day, as we went to go do the work at the house, I got to meet Pedro [Pascal], I got to meet Ben Mendelsohn and I got to meet Angus Cloud,” the actor said onstage, flanked by Pascal and Mendelsohn.“Rest in peace to Angus,” added Ellis, who plays Golden State Warrior Sleepy Floyd.

Peter Debruge Chief Film Critic Taking a one-for-us victory lap after one-for-them studio smash “Captain Marvel,” indie duo Ryan Fleck and Anna Boden blow a big, self-indulgent kiss to the late-’80s East Bay with “Freaky Tales.” Berkeley-born Fleck was all of 10 years old in early 1987, when this nostalgia-fueled anthology film is set, which explains the wide-eyed way he romanticizes the defining subcultures of the time (with Boden presumably doing her best to broaden the film’s incredibly specific, “you had to be there“ appeal). In four distinct but intertwining chapters — populated mostly with fresh faces, plus grizzled-but-gorgeous Pedro Pascal — “Freaky Tales” melds wildly different sectors of the city: There’s the rowdy-yet-respectful Gilman Street punk crowd; the revolutionary Oakland hip-hop scene (including Too $hort, whose raunchy rap anthem gives the film its name); the Warriors’ historic victory over the Lakers, in which local basketball legend Eric “Sleepy” Jones scored a record-setting 29 points in the fourth quarter; and a disturbing spike in neo-Nazi-linked hate crimes, which strangely serves to tie everything else together.

Sundance soaked up the sun on Thursday’s opening day. With plenty of powder to lend an idyllic backdrop to selfies and social media updates, the festival crowd was buzzing in line for the day’s largest film opening: “Freaky Tales,” taking the coveted early evening spot at the Eccles Center.

Sundance revved up with the premiere of Freaky Tales tonight, a debut met with rousing applause, including at the film’s last title card that read, “In loving memory of Angus Cloud.”

Oakland’s freaky side emerges in Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck’s ambitious yet tonally uneven new anthology film Freaky Tales starring Pedro Pascal, Jay Ellis, Ben Medelsohn, Jack Champion, Ji-Young Yoo, Normani, Dominique Thorne, Too $hort’s, and Lenny G. The directors spotlight diverse local subcultures against the backdrop of Too $hort’s hit of the same name. The film intertwines four tales linked by unfolding events and a puzzling supernatural emerald glow permeating the city. Though the gritty visuals and soundtrack immerse in the look and feel of 1987 Oakland, the narrative struggles to weave these stories into a satisfying whole.

Normani and Dominique Thorne are all smiles while stepping out for the premiere of their new movie Freaky Tales held at Eccles Theatre on Thursday (January 18) in Park City, Utah.

The sling was off as The Last of Us star Pedro Pascal made his way through the red carpet for the Sundance Film Festival premiere of his movie Freaky Tales on Thursday.

William Earl Variety is returning to the Sundance Film Festival this year with its annual Interview Studio, presented by Audible, the leading creator and provider of premium audio storytelling. Throughout the festival, videos from the interview studio will be distributed across Variety.com as well as Variety and Audible’s social media channels (Instagram: @audible, @Variety; Twitter: @audible_com, @Variety; TikTok: @audible, @VarietyMagazine).

Pedro Pascal brought a special guest at the 2024 Emmys. He was accompanied by his sister Lux, with both looking stunning and elegant as they walked the red carpet. Emmy Awards 2024: Best red carpet looksEmmy Awards 2024: Complete winners listA post shared by HOLA! USA (@holausa)Pedro and Lux took photographs on the red carpet as they held on to each other, with Lux holding on to his arm.

Love Island ’s Teddy Soares has reportedly called it quits on his relationship with the stunning Irish model and actress, Casey Boonstra. The 29-year-old reality star, known for his memorable stint on Love Island, had embarked on a series of dates with Casey last year after parting ways with his long-term girlfriend, Faye Winter. Teddy openly confirmed his return to the dating scene in October, expressing his happiness and enthusiasm about a new romantic chapter after his break-up.

, The Last Of Us star Pedro Pascal explained why his arm was in a sling. It's due to a shoulder injury he sustained when star Kieran Culkin “beat the shit out of [him].”In the audience, Culkin played along, staring blank-faced at Pascal with evil in his eyes.

Pedro Pascal is full of jokes at the 75th Primetime Emmy Awards!

Barbie” and “Oppenheimer” with four nods each. In the realm of television, “Succession” led with five nominations for its final season, closely followed by “The Bear,” “The Last of Us,” and “Ted Lasso,” trailing with four nominations.

Diego Ramos Bechara editor The first stars slated to appear at the 75th Primetime Emmy Awards have been announced. Among the list of tapped presenters are Emmy-nominated stars Pedro Pascal (“The Last of Us”), Quinta Brunson (“Abbot Elementary” and “Saturday Night Live”), Jenna Ortega (“Wednesday”), Stephen Colbert (“The Late Show with Stephen Colbert”), Juno Temple (“Ted Lasso”) and Brett Goldstein (“Ted Lasso”). “The diverse lineup of talent represents critically acclaimed television series and Emmy-nominated programs across many viewing platforms and genres,” the TV Academy said in a statement.

Pedro Pascal got a little handsy with Willem Dafoe’s wife, Giada Colagrande, Monday at the “Spider-Man” actor’s Hollywood Walk of Fame ceremony. In a TikTok with almost 6 million views, the notoriously handsome Pascal is seen standing up after crouching down to pose for photos with Dafoe’s new star, then turns to Colagrande, an actress and director, and caresses her chin as she chuckles.Dafoe, 68, dropped his smiled as he watched the whole thing, muttering something inaudible to his co-star in “The Great Wall,” who quickly kept his hands to himself.

Pedro Pascal revealed at the Golden Globes that he had injured his arm and now we know a little more about what happened.